Miller always on the go, even in retirement

April 13, 2012 10:51 AM

April 13, 2012 10:51 AM

In late March, when the Erie Times-News staff was gathering information for our District 10 spring sports preview series, I noticed something intriguing.

Many head coaches of spring sports teams had significant amounts of experience at their schools. That spawned an idea for a feature in our Varsity print edition: Give fans a closer look at the spring head coaches who have more than 30 years of service.

There are plenty of examples -- from McDowell's Rich Beck, a 43-year tennis coach, to Harbor Creek's Joe Sholtis, a 37-year softball coach, to West Middlesex's Jerry Novosel, a 33-year baseball coach.

However, another coach came to mind as I was sorting through the names of all of those veterans. Ted Miller ended his 35-year run as North East's track and field head coach almost 20 years ago, but he's still coaching distance runners as a Grapepickers track and cross country assistant now that he's approaching his mid-80s. In all, he's been coaching for about a half-century.

I decided to call Miller to ask him what he's been up to during his so-called retirement.

Miller's words showed that, despite heartbreaking personal tragedies and health problems, he's the same hard-charging figure who led North East to so many state championships.

Miller turned 83 in March, but he still walks three to four miles a day. He had run four or five miles each morning until the age of 75, but he had to slow his pace because of a series of health problems that started with a fall off a ladder while he was cleaning leaves from a gutter at his home.

He fought -- and beat -- prostate cancer in 2006 and 2007 and has had bouts with skin cancer as well. Despite that, he still gets up at 5:15 each morning for his walk. He was always an early riser as a kid growing up on a farm, later in college and during his six years in the Marine Corps.

"If you're a Marine, you better be out of bed by 5:30 a.m.," he says firmly.

He walks early in the morning partly because he doesn't want to expose his skin to sunlight after undergoing surgery to rid his face and ear of skin cancer.

Miller has dealt with a series of family tragedies as well. He and his wife, Eleanore, have lost three of their seven children during the past two decades. One son died in an automobile accident in 1993 and another later died from complications from heart surgery. They also lost a daughter to cancer.

Those losses and his health struggles have led Miller to stay as active as possible.

"I need something to keep my mind off those issues," he says of continuing his coaching career so long.

Dick Gregg has coached North East's boys track team for the past 19 years, and he appreciates having Miller around.

"Ted hasn't changed," Gregg says. "He's still a great motivator and distance coach."

Miller is well known for his ability to motivate athletes, and he has been especially good at helping top runners reach their potential.

"If I have a kid that really wants to get to the top of the ladder, I'll help them do it," he says.

He has coached several state champion distance runners in track and cross country, and he has been a big reason why the Grapepickers have won three team state titles in track and nine titles in cross country, a program he founded at North East.

Despite all of his personal successes, Miller insists, "Nobody does this alone."

He notes that his wife, a former registered nurse who raised seven children, "has been a great part of my success." Eleanore ran the home while Ted spent significant amounts of time coaching.

"There are very few women who would sacrifice the time that I've put in," he says.

The North East community also has been supportive. For example, in the mid-1990s, North East High School named its stadium after him. In 2008, runners and parents painted the Millers' house as a gesture of thanks.

"All of the support I've had from other coaches, administration, the school board -- everybody plays a part in it," he says. "It makes it worthwhile when people believe in what you're doing for the kids."

Read more about Miller and other veteran coaches in Wednesday's Varsity print edition.

The case for lacrosse:

Last week, the Varsity Letter discussed the rise of two PIAA sports -- lacrosse and competitive cheer. One of lacrosse's biggest advocates in the area, Cathedral Prep coach Jeff Lord, wrote an e-mail in response to the Varsity Letter. Lord detailed why -- and how -- he thinks lacrosse can flourish throughout the area.

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